Coconut Cream Eggs

Last year at about this time, I shared my grandmother’s decades-old recipe for peanut butter eggs. So it seemed only fair to offer the recipe that my family deems its counterpart. To be sure, both versions have a loyal following.

Non-coconut lovers have actually converted after sampling this treat. I have told my parents–who seldom argue but have bickered over these–that I will take their box away if they don’t agree to share. Delight as they do, some years I stash two small boxes in the freezer to dole out on their birthdays.

A very exciting moment occurred several years ago when a friend, whose husband worked for a chocolate company, arranged for a small group of friends to make these treats at her husband’s facility. The adventure was sure to be fun and, no doubt, easier than crafting hundreds of these by hand in my own kitchen.

I had visions of the candy “insides” rolling down a conveyor belt, leading them to a vat of melted chocolate. They would plunge into the sweet brown liquid and quickly emerge, perfectly encased in dark or milk chocolate.

As it turned out, we were given a lesson on hand-tempering chocolate and proceeded to dip every last candy egg by hand. The process wasn’t any quicker–and we were literally up to our wrists in chocolate. But what could be bad about that? It was a real-life Charlie and the Chocolate Factory experience for sure.

The beauty of these treats, however, is that they taste just as good out of a home kitchen as they do from a commercial kitchen. Ultimately, they will taste far better than most store-bought candy because there are no extra preservatives, additives, artificial colors, etc. Buy the best chocolate you can. For coconut eggs, I really love dark chocolate, but choose the variety you love the most.

When finished, I refrigerate the eggs and pack them in airtight containers or white craft store boxes (tied with a pretty ribbon) for gift giving. We like to eat the eggs cold; some people prefer them room temperature. Either way, they are delicious!

Cream the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the coconut. Add the sugar, about a third at a time, until it is completely incorporated. (I think it is easiest to do the mixing with clean hands.) Form the filling into a big, rectangular block, wrap in parchment or wax paper and then again in plastic wrap, and chill until firm. At this point, you may leave in the refrigerator for several days.

When ready to roll into eggs or rounds: To make uniformly sized candy, cut the block into long slices and then into squares. Next, roll the filling into a ball and flatten into a circular shape or egg, as desired. (Since I make my peanut butter candy in egg shapes, I make these round in order to distinguish between the two. On occasion, I have made them both in egg shapes and have drizzled a little white chocolate over the top of the coconut eggs to tell the difference. You could also dip one variety in milk chocolate and the other in dark. Do whatever you like best.) As you roll, place the eggs on a parchment-lined baking sheet. When finished, wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or even several days) or until ready to dip them in the chocolate.

Finally, melt the chocolate in a double boiler (or fashion your own by placing a small pot inside a medium pot). Dip the eggs and remove to a wax paper or parchment-lined baking sheet. I like to keep 15 to 20 out at a time, leaving the remaining eggs in the refrigerator. They will be easier to dip if they are cold. I have tried the special utensils made for dipping chocolates, toothpicks, and any way I can think of to make this process easy and less messy! The way that has ultimately worked best for me is to use a dinner fork. I drop the egg in the chocolate, roll gently to coat, and lift it out with the fork. Hold the egg on the fork for a few seconds, allowing the excess chocolate to drip back into the pot (I scrape under the fork with a small spatula or dinner knife to help remove the excess), and then gently slide off of fork and onto the lined baking sheet. If you end up with “feet”–a puddle of chocolate that pools around the egg–you can gently break this off once the chocolate hardens. My kids, however, think these are the best ones because they get more chocolate!

The chocolate will harden as it cools. If your kitchen is very warm, you may wish to place the trays in the refrigerator. Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, the eggs will keep for several weeks–if they last that long! They also freeze quite well. Tip: One year, I thought I would be smart and put the dipped eggs on a cooling rack, thinking that it would be a fast, easy way to drain the excess chocolate. Don’t do it! The eggs adhere to the rack as the chocolate hardens and the bottoms will cling to the rack when removed.

If you wish to use chocolate that requires tempering: First, if you purchase the standard melting wafers–Wilbur makes exceptional melting chocolate–there is no need to temper them. Wilbur also sells a higher grade chocolate, sold in block form, which must be tempered. The only risk you run if you don’t temper it properly is that the chocolate may look a little streaky. It will still taste fabulous. What I do, however, is melt a portion of the chocolate–maybe 8 ounces–in a double boiler. Then turn the heat off and add about a quarter cup (no need to measure, just a small handful) of chopped chocolate and stir it in. This brings the temperature back down which is how it tempers. I turn the heat back on when I need to add more chocolate or if I get sidetracked and the chocolate cools too much and starts to thicken. Repeat the process as needed until all of the eggs are dipped.

I sometimes temper chocolate in the microwave when making quick recipes (like Oreo, pretzel, or salted almond bark—these are also great ways to quickly use leftover chocolate. All of the recipes are posted). In this case, simply heat the chocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring as you go. When the chocolate is all just barely melted, stir in some chopped chocolate and let it melt in the heat of the already warm chocolate.

Once dipped, the candy should be put in a cool place to set up properly. I put the baking sheets of dipped candy in the refrigerator or near a cool window until set and completely cool.

Notes

Feel free to use milk chocolate if you prefer it to dark chocolate.
But if you enjoy really dark chocolate… Sometimes, I dip a small portion of the eggs in unsweetened The absence of sugar is balanced by the sweet filling, and there are some who adore this truly bittersweet pairing.

I pat the dough into blocks and then refrigerate until firm. You may do this up to a few days in advance of rolling and dipping. Slicing the chilled blocks into squares, as shown above, makes it very easy to make uniformly shaped eggs.

The insides, ready to be dipped. For the peanut butter egg recipe, see the link below.

I have always used the sweetened version but I think it would work with the unsweetened. The sweetened bag typically notes “flaky” and the texture is slightly different. I can attest that the sweetened coconut makes a great finished product!

Coconut is my absolute favorite, anyway I can get it…candy, cake, pie, right out of the bag (or the shell!)….in everything! I can’t wait to try these…especially with the cream cheese (another thing I love!).

If you simply omit the coconut, the recipe would be a basic buttercream egg. I never make them this way because we have a lot of coconut lovers here, but you could. The peanut butter eggs are a great option, too!

I made coconut eggs today too. I think I may have to try them this way next year. How fun to get to go to a chocolate company and make your candies! There’s a place not too far from my house that makes the best truffles.

Good point, Anna! I will make a note on the recipe to refrigerate after making. They will last a very long time that way. The only way I know this is because my mom and dad have been known to hide their stash from each other and last year the box got hidden too well, only to be found two months later. They ate the last few and said they were good as ever!

Coincidently, I just counted my batch because I realized I didn’t include a yield. This year, I must have made them a little bigger as I got 90. Usually, I end up with a few more coconut eggs than peanut butter eggs. But basically, it is pretty close.

For Pecan cream eggs could you just pulse the pecans a bit in the food processor to get a consistancy close to the coconut, then use equal amounts? I am not a candy maker by any means, but really want to try these.

Without the coconut, the recipe is essentially a buttercream egg. You could certainly add pecan bits, although I would start by adding a lesser amount as the pecans would be denser than the coconut. I think I would add and taste until I achieved the consistency and flavor I liked. Let me know if you try!

This should work well, Loretta. As an added precaution, just follow the tips under the tempering paragraph, adding in some of the Baker’s chocolate after the first portion has melted. This should ensure it sets up perfectly.

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Why Fountain Avenue Kitchen?

The Fountain Avenue Kitchen was my grandmother’s kitchen, the kitchen where I first pulled up a stool and watched the magic of turning basic, fresh ingredients into culinary wonders. Through today’s Fountain Avenue Kitchen, I hope to inspire people to try a new recipe, learn a new technique and eat more vegetables and wholesome grains ... but still enjoy a little dessert now and then. Pull up your chair and join me in the Fountain Avenue Kitchen!

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